Wow. wow. wow. Just wow. I first saw it last year on Instagram in American restaurant Finca in Salt Lake City. This dark and lovely Ellie Cashman wallpaper shown below. Edgy, moody, overscale, smoky, floral. Love. It.

It's intoxicating and beautiful. In fact, we wanted to order and install it in my home to create a room "look" for my next book coming out in the Decorate series, which will release in just a few months in September (I'll tell you more about book number 4 very soon!). We didn't end up having the time or the budget, but I still wanted to talk about it publicly. That's why I had to share it from Selina's new book yesterday on one of her pages. And this is why I have to share more impressions of it in lots of different spaces around the room to inspire you. All of this is Ellie Cashman wallpaper, not all the same pattern, but the same moody large blooms that designers and decorators all over are raving about.

But first, WHO IS ELLIE CASHMAN? She is an American artist with a Master of Fine Arts from New York University and was born in the same state as I was, Rhode Island, and like me, she expatriated to Europe (she moved to the Netherlands in 2007, I moved to Germany in 2009). Her current largest influence is the still life paintings from the Dutch golden age. She decided to turn her influence into patterns and created hyper realistic, over-scale wallpaper and it went viral on Pinterest in 2013 and since... well, her brand has become a major player in the world of wallpaper. Here is more about her humble beginnings as told by Ellie herself...

"When I designed my 'Dark Floral' wallpaper, I imagined it being used on an accent wall. I mocked it up in Photoshop as the backdrop for a rustic wood table and an Eames chair. What happened next, I hadn't imagined at all! That mockup went viral on Pinterest, and e-mails began to pour in from all around the world. People wanted to know where they could buy the wallpaper. This gave me the guts to go out on my own and find a partner to produce 'Dark Floral.' We were shipping the wallpaper around the world even before the web shop went live. And now, just a short time later, 'Dark Floral' has appeared on the pages of Vogue and Elle. So, real life has exceeded the capacity of my imagination. I feel truly lucky. This little wallpaper that could has had quite a journey so far, and it feels like it's just getting started."

I love stories like this! Ohhh the internet is so good to so many of us! She has since expanded her wallpaper collection into cushion covers, fabric and scarves.

Do you wonder how she makes the patterns you see? I did too. Ellie explains below,

"To create my large-scale floral prints, I use a combination of traditional and digital art media. I start with a rough pencil sketch on paper, which I photograph and import into Photoshop. Using customized brushes, a Wacom tablet and pen, I then color and paint on a series of layers, building up from that original sketch to a finished design. This part of my process usually takes me about 6 months to a year. Once a print is complete, a new process begins: sourcing materials and applying it to different products. In this way, a design can evolve over a period of years."

Wonderful! All of these papers can be purchased online in Ellie's shop.

What example above do you like the most? Why? Would you use a dramatic wallpaper in your home like this? Where?

Hello decor8 readers, it's Agata here again and I can't wait to share with you a new, interesting DIY idea to try! This time we will be dressing up mirrors. Are you ready? I've always loved decorating with mirrors, as apart from being stylish, they are very practical - they open up a room and reflect light, making each corner feel brighter and bigger. That's probably the reason why I have at least one in each room. How many to you have at home? I particularly like the look of hanging mirrors in groups, in all possible shapes and versions. Whether they are modern or vintage, they add something a little more special than the standard framed ones so having one (or 3!) on your wall is a great way to show some character.

Sometimes though, mirrors can be overpriced, so I always try to come up with alternative ways to 'get the look' without breaking the bank. If you are a little like me, a fan of budget-friendly DIYs with custom possibilities, I have a feeling you will like this one! Today I will show you how to make a set of 3 small, hanging mirrors with painted edges for a bit of non-traditional, unique look. They are very easy to make (no drilling or glass cutting),
and the total budget for this project is around $10 for all 3!

Agata Dimmich for decor8

SUPPLY LIST
- 3 small square mirrors (Tip: Instead of actual mirrors, use mirrored candle plates - they come in many shapes and you can get them for less than $3 each at craft and decor shops.
- 3 strong chains, you can get them from your local hardware store or alternatively you can use jewelry chains but make sure they are strong enough to hold your mirrors.
- 2 cans of spray paint (I used black and vintage gold)
- painters tape
- triangle hangers (2 for each mirror)
- metal wire (optional)
- metal cutter
- very strong, hardware glue

HOW TO
1. Paint the edges of each mirror - in my set of 3, I painted one black and 2 vintage gold. I taped around the edges of each mirror, covered the center with a paper and spray painted them. Once painted, wait a few hours so the paint can dry well. You may want to spray them outdoors and wear your least favorite t-shirt! You can also spray them inside of a cardboard box to contain the spray paint.

2. Using strong glue, attach the triangle hangers at the back of each mirror. Make sure they are symmetrical by measuring the mirror and drawing a line to guide you.

Agata Dimmich for decor8

3. Create a little metal rings with a wire. The easiest way to do it is to wrap the wire around the pencil, then cut the end with a metal cutter.

4. Attach the wire to the triangle hangers and hang your mirrors on the wall! That's it!

Agata Dimmich for decor8

Agata Dimmich for decor8

Agata Dimmich for decor8

Agata Dimmich for decor8

I have to say I really love how they turned out and I'm curious if you like them too? Have you ever customized a mirror before? Hope you enjoyed this tutorial and I will see you back here April 11th. In the meantime, I would like to wish you all Happy Easter, have a beautiful and relaxed Holiday! Agata.